25 Best Montana Breweries

Montana grows some of the world’s finest barley and the Pacific Northwest’s hop fields are a short drive away, making the state one of the top beer-making regions in the country. Montana is home to over 70 brewing establishments - more breweries per capita than Colorado - ranging from breweries and microbreweries to nano breweries and multinational conglomerate macro-breweries, all of which produce a wealth of innovative and creative styles of beer, ales, and drafts. Boasting spectacular natural landscapes and diverse climates, Montana has a burgeoning craft beer scene where mild and fruity hops, earthy barley malt, and yeast have been expertly revived in the mountain regions of the inland northwest by trained and passionate craftsmen to produce acclaimed beers and ales. Here are the some of the best breweries in Montana for both amateurs and aficionados to try.

1.406 Brewing Company

Located at Oak Street in Bozeman, 406 Brewing Company is a locally owned brewery that produces hand-crafted beers, which can be tasted and enjoyed in a cozy tasting room, which also hosts events such as live music. Owned by Matt Muth, an avid home brewer since he was in college, 406 Brewing Company has a spacious and inviting 3,200-square-foot space that serves as the brewery and tasting room, which features a large, L-shaped wooden and copper-clad bar. Visitors can see the brewing vessels, which are made almost entirely with recycled materials such as wood from old barns and copper from Pacific Steel and Recycling. Signature beers include Amarillo Pale Ale, Impressment India Pale Ale, Jamber (amber) Ale, and a brown porter.

2.Angry Hank's Microbrewery

Angry Hank's Microbrewery is a locally-owned and operated brewery that produces a range of beers created using the highest quality ingredients such as Montana-grown barley malted in Great Falls, yeast grown in-house, hops from Washington’s Yakima Valley, and water sourced from the largest free-flowing river in the country. Named after a grumpy family friend, Angry Hank’s does everything in-house from the brewing to the milling and the packaging and offers signature brews such as Angry Hank's Blonde Ale, Anger Management Belgian Wheat, Head Trauma India Pale Ale, Street Fight Irish Red Ale, and Dog Slobber Brown Ale.

3.Backslope Brewing

Located in Columbia Falls in the shadow of Glacier National Park, Backslope Brewing creates and serves handcrafted beers and tasty brews using the highest quality locally sourced ingredients from the spectacular landscapes of Montana. Backslope Brewing features a modern taproom where the brewery’s beers can be tasted and enjoyed and a lovely outdoor patio with stunning mountain views in both summer and winter. Backslope Brewing’s kitchen provides delicious homecooked fare with a chef-created menu to complement the quality of products in the brewery, which includes beers such as The Pilgrim Blonde, Crooked Wind IPA, Dr. Randolph’s All-Day Porter, and Foreman Stout.

4.Bayern Brewing, Inc.

Founded in Missoula in 1987, Bayern Brewing, Inc is a German brewery in the Rocky Mountains specializing in authentic Bavarian beer. Named for the German state of Bavaria, the homeland of Jurgen Knoller, Bayern Brewing’s owner, and master brewer, Bayern Brewing uses the traditional German methods of beer-making as done for centuries in Bavaria, a region renowned for producing the world’s most famous and sophisticated beer. Beers are brewed in strict accordance to the German Law of Purity (Reinheitsgebot) of 1516, which means no artificial carbonation, adjuncts or berries, just pure malted barley, yeast, hops, and water. Bayern Brewing beers are fully matured using state-of-the-art equipment to produce signature ales, lagers, IPAs and special edition brews such as Dancing Trout, Doppelbock, Faceplant, Groomer, and Maibock.

5.Beaver Creek Brewery

Beaver Creek Brewery is a beer oasis right off the Interstate in Wibaux, Montana that produces a range of easy-drinking ales and brews, which can be tasted in a relaxed, non-smoking taproom.
Beaver Creek Brewery produces six basic beers, namely Beaver Creek Pale Ale, Rough Rider Wheat, Wibaux's Gold, Rusty Beaver Wheat, Redheaded IPA, and Paddlefish Stout, which is served with a chocolate chip cookie. The brewery also serves seasonal beers throughout the year including such beers as Castor Mexican Amber, Choke Cherry Wheat, Mighty Rig ESB, and Sippin Pumpkin, and the taproom also serves homemade root beer, and root beer floats with Montana made Wilcoxson's ice cream and fresh popcorn.

6.Big Sky Brewing Company

Founded in the early 1990s by a group of friends, Big Sky Brewing Company produces a range of English-style ales and golden and amber libations. Located on Trumpeter Way in Missoula, the brewery has a taproom with a mezzanine level overlooking the brew-room, which produces and dispenses gallons of beer every day. Synonymous with the natural beauty of Montana, the brewery offers signature beers such as Moose Drool, Trout Slayer, Scape Goat, Space Goat, Big Sky IPA, Shake a Day, Pack Train, and Slow Elk. Big Sky Brewing Company also features both seasonal and regular ales, producing them in the same way that they have been produced for the past 23 years.

7.Bitter Root Brewing

Located at the base of the beautiful range along the Idaho-Montana border in the rural town of Hamilton, Bitter Root Brewery produces from-scratch handcrafted brews made from high-quality ingredients. Founded in 1998, Bitter Root Brewery produces over 40 different styles of beer a year with 11 on draft at our taproom, along with a variety of delicious dishes prepared from Bitter Root Brewery’s kitchen using the best local or organic ingredients. Signature beers include the gluten-reduced Sawtooth Ridge Golden Ale, Bitter Root IPA, and Single Hop Pale Ale, along with small-batch brews and seasonal beers such as El Guapo, Westfork Ginger Wheat Ale, Hibiscus Blonde, Dirt Church Northeast IPA, Guava Pale Ale, and Chiapas Coffee Milk Stout. Bitter Root Brewery taproom hosts an excellent selection of local and traveling musicians every Thursday and Saturday evening.

8.Blackfoot River Brewing Co

Founded in 1998 by three passionate homebrewers and beer-lovers, Blackfoot River Brewing Company is a vibrant microbrewery and taproom that produces a host of craft beers that can be enjoyed in a hip taproom and outdoor patio in the summer months. Using the highest quality ingredients and a 15bbl brewing system, Blackfoot River Brewing produces German-inspired beers, wheaty ales, and smooth dunkels, such as Strawberry Mint Kolsch, a Kolsch-style ale infused with fresh strawberry puree and mint leaves; a Mexican Chocolate Stout inspired with chillies, chocolate, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean; a Haskap Berry Cream Ale infused with fresh Haskap berries; and a Azacca dry-hopped Organic IPA with mango, pineapple and some pine and tangerine-style qualities. Blackfoot River Brewing Company is open seven days a week and offers ten beers on tap, a traditional beer engine each week, free popcorn, and growlers to go.

9.Blacksmith Brewing Company

Located in Stevensville and based in a historic building dating back to 1908 that was once a steam laundry and blacksmith shop, Blacksmith Brewing Company is a locally owned brewery that produces a range of award-winning flagship and seasonal beers. Founded in 2008, Blacksmith Brewing Company produces signature beers such as the Brickhouse Blonde, the Montana Amber, the Pulaski Porter, and the Cutthroat IPA, which can all be tasted in the tasting room from Thursday through Sunday, along with live music on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Special limited editions and seasonal brews include the Fish Rise IPA with tropical notes of mango, pineapple, pine and citrus, the Creek Side Session IPA with fruity and citrus flavors and aromas, and the Kootenai Kolsch, a light German-style ale with a malt character.

10.Bozeman Brewing Company

Bozeman Brewing Company is a neighborhood microbrewery that produces a range of craft beers and ales, that can be tasted in a modern taproom. Located in the artsy university town of Bozeman, the brewery embraces the German spirit of purity in brewing, using the highest quality and purest Montana ingredients to create tasty seasonal ales and lagers, as well as limited edition specials. The tasting room in northern Bozeman offers a variety of beers to taste, including flagship Bozone Amber Ale, the seasonal Belgian Trippel and Imperial IPA, and the year-round Gallatin Pale Ale, Haze Hugger Hazy IPA, and Montana Common. The tasting room is open seven days a week for tastings and tours of the brewery.

11.Draught Works Brewery

Draught Works Brewery is a locally owned and operated brewery with a cozy taproom and a beautiful wrap-around patio with garage doors leading to the taproom. The open year-round patio features misters and umbrellas for the warmer months and deck heaters for the colder months, and the brewery offers a range of craft brews, snacks like ice cream sandwiches, and live music from local bands through the year. Founded on the philosophy of building better beers, Draught Works brewery produces clean, traditional ales and lagers, unique American sours, and a wealth of experimental styles, such as German-Style Hefeweizen, German-Style Kölsch, American Sour, American Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, and Oatmeal Stout.

12.Harvest Moon Brewing Co

Harvest Moon Brewing Company was founded with the aim of producing beers that reflect the region’s rich agricultural culture and traditions. Located in the rural community of Belt, a centrally located small town 20 miles southeast of Great Falls, Harvest Moon Brewing Company uses pure and unfiltered water from the Madison aquifer, the source for world-class springs in Great Falls and Lewistown. Harvest Moon produced their first batch of beer in 1997 and have since developed a reputation for producing well-balanced, full-bodied beers made from the highest quality ingredients. The brewery uses a ‘hands-on’ modern, state-of-the-art brewing equipment to ensure high production quality with every step overseen by owners, John and Stan. Signature brews include Belgian White, Pig Ass Porter, Charlie Russell Red, Broken Bale Nut Brown Ale, and Elevator Imperial IPA.

13.Imagine Nation Brewing Company

The Imagine Nation Brewing Company (INBC) is a unique initiative that combines a brewery and a center for community transformation with the aim being to serve a community through craft beer and education. Located in Missoula, the team behind the concept have worked in conflict zones around the world to promote peace and healing within communities affected by violence and based on these experiences, developed the vision for Imagine Nation Brewing Company to help make the process of change accessible and positive. INBC produces excellent beer made from the highest quality ingredients and offers a community space for people to connect and celebrate life together. The brewery’s taproom host workshops through craft beer and education on creating an integrative community.

14.KettleHouse Brewing Company

KettleHouse Brewing Company is a microbrewery set in a beautifully restored old brick warehouse with a rustic-industrial taproom. Founded in 1995 by Tim O’Leary and Suzy Rizza, KettleHouse Brewing Company has grown from a from a single taproom to two taprooms in Missoula and a large production facility in Bonner. Aiming to produce beers that ‘taste as good as their surroundings,’ KettleHouse Brewing Company produces a range of seasonal and special batches that can be sampled in the taproom, including the crowd-pleasing Double Haul IPA, the chocolatey and coffee Cold Smoke Scotch Ale, and the exclusive hemp ale, Fresh Bongwater. In addition to its mainstays, the brewery offers a rotating selection of seasonal beers, such as the Garden City Pale Ale and Te Bonner Lager, a beer that was brewed to celebrate the venue's opening in 2017.

15.Lewis & Clark Brewing Company

The Lewis & Clark Brewing Company is a state-of-the-art brewery in the heart of Helena in Lewis & Clark County. The locally owned and operated brewery produces handcrafted and un-pasteurized ales, lagers, IPAs, and other styles of beer with old-school traditional methods that focus on attention to detail, the highest quality of craftsmanship and the freshest, organic ingredients. Signature beers include Juicy ObSession, a session-style IPA; the award-winning Halo Huckleberry Hefeweizen, a Miner’s Gold Hefeweizen made with fresh huckleberry juice; Prickly Pear Pale Ale, a combination of pale ale and crystal malts; and Lewis & Clark Amber Ale, a well-balanced, medium-bodied amber beer with an aromatic finish.

16.Madison River Brewing Co

Situated in Southwestern Montana’s Gallatin Valley in the town of Belgrade, Madison River Brewing Company is a world-class brewery that produces a range of award-winning craft beers. Surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful natural scenery of several mountain ranges and winding rivers teeming with fish, Madison River Brewing Company draws inspiration from the surrounding landscapes by giving most of their beers the name of a fishing fly. Established in 2004, Madison River Brewing Company produces a range of beers that include the Hopper Pale Ale, the flagship Salmon Fly Honey Rye, Irresistible ESB, Copper John Scotch Ale, and Yellow Humpy Hefeweizen, all of which can be found across Montana, most of Wyoming, and parts of North Dakota and Idaho.

17.Mighty Mo Brewing Co.

Located in the heart of Downtown Great Falls, Mighty Mo Brewing Co. is a brewery in the heart of Montana that produces high quality, flavorful craft beer. Established in 2013, the brewery is set in a beautifully restored historic building in a recently revitalized area of Downtown Great Falls, giving a much-needed boost to the area. Mighty Mo Brewing Co. features a full kitchen that produces fresh food such as appetizers, salads, sandwiches, chicken wings, and wood-fired pizza to accompany the excellent beers and ales, and live music is hosted in the evenings. Signature beers include Coffee Blonde, Rising Trout, Motorboat, Cloudburst New England IPA, Smoke Jumper, and CocoMotion.

18.Montana Brewing Company

Montana Brewing Company produces a seasonal selection of house-brewed beer on tap along with a menu of classic pub fare in a casual, lively setting. The handcrafted brews produced at this Billings staple are both tried-and-true and refined in their execution, such as the mild, but tasty Sharptail Pale Ale, the orangey Whitetail Wheat, the smooth and velvety Custer’s Last Stout oatmeal stout, and the award-winning Hooligan’s Irish Red Ale. Montana Brewing Company’s taproom offers a comfortable and relaxed environment in which to try the brewery’s beers, along with delicious homecooked fare and evening entertainment.

19.Muddy Creek Brewery

Muddy Creek Brewery is a family-friendly microbrewery located in historic Uptown Butte that focuses on the time-honored art of craft brewing to produce creative and innovative craft beers with distinct flavor and taste. Brews on tap include Storm on the Door, Low Voltage Friday Ale, Blue Sky Blond, Skinny Cow IPA, Oatmeal Pale Ale, Crazy Beautiful, and Fallen Rock Nitro. Muddy Creek Brewery hosts live music throughout the week in a quiet enough space to enjoy good conversation with friends, while tasting some of the brewery’s top tipple.

20.Neptune's Brewery

Neptune's Brewery is a brewery and brewpub offering several of its craft beers on tap, along with a creative menu of pub-style fare with an Asian twist. Named after the Roman God of the Sea, Neptune’s Brewery aims to emulate the community caretaker sphere of the Roman deity and provide an inviting and welcoming space in which people can gather, drink great beer, eat good food, and enjoy each other’s company. Signature brews include the Siren Song Honey Rye, a gluten-reduced beer made with Park County Honey; River Nymph Golden Ale, a light golden ale with a touch of hops; the seasonal Belgian Apricot Monk with hints of clove and banana; the seasonal Amber Jack Amber Ale with a slight bite of hops; and the seasonal Winterfest Ale, a classic nut brown ale with cinnamon, nutmeg, bourbon vanilla extract.

21.Philipsburg Brewing Company

Using only local mountain spring water, the whole cone hops, and the finest Montana malt to produce unique, crisp, award-winning lagers and ales, Philipsburg Brewing Company has earned a reputation for providing some of the region’s best beers. Helmed by Head Brewer, Mike Elliott, with the support of Lead Brewer & Recipe Developer, Ben Johnson, the microbrewery co-op conjures small batches of excellent Montanan local beer with the brew-meisters entirely entwined with the entire process of beer making from start to finish. Housed in a historic bank building dating back to the late 1800s in downtown Philipsburg, the Philipsburg Brewing Company offers a range of seasonal and year-round beers, including Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Saison, Rubric Flanders Red, R2 Tramway Rye Pale Ale, and the award-winning wheat-fruit beer, Razzu! Raspberry Wheat.

22.Quarry Brewing

After a 40-year absence of craft brewing, Butte's historical tradition of beer making has been revived by Quarry Brewing. Opened in 2007 by Chuck and Lyza Schnabel, and now located at The Grand Hotel on Broadway Street in the heart of historic uptown Butte, Quarry Brewing produces a range of traditional-style ales and traditional German-inspired pilsners and lagers. Master brewer, Chuck Schnabel, brings fruity and flavored beers to the tasting room with a selection of beers that include Galena Gold, a light, thirst-quenching, and refreshing ale; Open Cab Copper, a medium-bodied beer Irish ale; Shale Pale Ale, an English-style pale ale made from Palisades hops; and Open Pit Porter, a robust porter with sweet chocolate overtones and a roasted malt character.

23.Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co

Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company is one of the oldest breweries in Billings, producing and serving beers since 1996. The brewery produces eight flagship beers and a handful of seasonal rotations, which can be tasted in The Garage, Billings’ first taproom, which also hosts live music every night. The award-winning brewery has a unique fundraising program called “PintAid” where proceeds from every pint sold go toward a local charity, and the Spirit of Montana, a micro-distillery, an offshoot of the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company opened in 2010, with its taproom following a few years later. Signature brews include the Black Widow Oatmeal Stout, Tarrazu Coffee Porter Brown Ale, Stand Brown Nitro Ale, and the Heavy – a Scottish Ale.

24.The Great Northern Brewing Company

Located in the northernmost block of downtown Whitefish, the Great Northern Brewing Company is a sleek brewery and taproom that offers a range of seasonal and year-round craft brews and ales, the finest quality lagers and ales, and a menu of light fare. Opened in 1995, the brewery uses a traditional “gravity flow” system for artisan brewing and produces a maximum annual capacity of 8000 barrels with a variety of signature beers, including Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager, Wheatfish Wheat Lager, Wild Huckleberry Wheat Lager, Going to The Sun IPA, Fred's Black Lager, and Buckin' Horse Pilsner. Limited edition draught beers include Pack-String Porter, Little Buckaroo Root Beer, and Centennial American Ale.